Joe Kay Talks Soulection’s 15-Year Anniversary During Club Space Miami Takeover
Story written by Marivette Navarrete
Joe Kay, CEO and Founder of Soulection celebrates the collective’s 15-year anniversary in Miami alongside Crown Royal Marquis / Photo by Juan Medina
"Music…It’s been my university. I've learned more through Soulection than I did ever in all my years of education."
Crown Royal Marquis made its way to Miami for a special first taste ahead of its national debut next month, and it showed up in the middle of one of the most fitting celebrations possible: Soulection’s 15-year anniversary. In partnership with Crown Royal Marquis, Soulection’s anniversary played out as a cultural ritual: 15 hours of nonstop music across three rooms at Club Space, curated and led by founder Joe Kay.
Soulection and Crown Royal Marquis built an atmosphere that stayed warm and alive from start to finish: three rooms in motion, bodies actually dancing, people flowing between sounds, trusting the night to carry them. The crowd matched it. It felt global and very Miami at the same time—Caribbean energy, Latin diaspora, locals who know how to last, and out-of-towners who quickly learned what “one more set” really means here. People came to groove.
The Mujerista walked in thinking we’d stay a few hours, catch a couple sets, do our quick interview with Joe Kay, and head out. Instead, we looked up, and the sky was changing. Then it was fully morning. We ended up staying until the sun came up and then some—8 a.m.—because the vibe never dipped and the music kept pulling us back in.
From the Crown Royal Marquis table, with Marquis cocktails in hand, we caught up with Joe in the heart of the takeover as Soulection marked what can only be described as their quinceañera: 15 years of shaping culture through sound.
“What’s up, family? This is Joe Kay, representing Soulection. We’re here in Miami, and this is the 15-year anniversary,” he told The Mujerista. “I’m the founder, radio host, DJ, and music tastemaker.”
From a platform to a culture
Soulection started in 2011, founded by Southern California native Joe Kay alongside André Power and Guillaume Bonte, and grew into something that has shaped a generation of listeners, DJs, and producers. At its core, Soulection has always been about curation. About the feeling you get when a song hits you in the chest, and you need to know what it is immediately. That’s the Soulection promise: future-facing beats, eclectic soul, and gems that turn into lifelong favorites.
And while the collective is now known for selling out live events and worldwide reach, Soulection’s foundation was built online during an era when discovery felt like digging—especially on platforms like SoundCloud, before streaming became the default.
Joe says he realized Soulection had outgrown “platform” status around the time the movement went global.
“I would say probably year four. That was 2014, 2015. When we started touring outside of the U.S., we started getting opportunities in Europe, in Asia, South Africa. Once it started going global, I realized we had something special.”
But it wasn’t just touring.
“It was the way that we were reaching people online through SoundCloud. This was pre-streaming. We were reaching people in a way where a lot of major labels were starting to hit us up to work with their artists or help develop people. That’s when I realized it was really reaching beyond.”
Why Miami is different
Miami isn’t just another tour stop for Soulection. It’s one of the few places that naturally fit the collective’s global musical palette.
“Outside of New York, Miami is one of the most international cities in terms of feeling. There are so many people from all over the world who come here and reside here. I really feel that. I can go a bit deeper with my music here because there are so many different people representing different cultures, and people tend to be receptive and open-minded to the music.”
And Club Space, legendary for dance music heads, permitted him to lean all the way in.
“My sets do change from city to city, and especially tonight, being here at the legendary Space, I can go deeper than I usually do. People are used to getting the edits and R&B stuff and soul music and hip-hop. Today’s focus is going deeper, keeping it progressive. Tonight is for the dancers. Tonight is for the groovers.”
A quick look into Joe Kay’s ear
To celebrate the milestone, The Mujerista asked Joe for rapid-fire picks—songs that represent Soulection’s DNA from Year 1 to Year 15, plus the personal roots underneath it all.
For Soulection at Year 1, Joe went straight to a key influence:
“J Dilla, ‘Think Twice.’”
For a record that still feels timeless and brand new:
“Sade, ‘Sweetest Taboo.’”
For the kind of track he’d play to introduce Soulection to someone for the first time:
“Sango, ‘Me dê Amor.’”
And when the questions touched the Caribbean and Latin diaspora, the sounds that live close to his own identity, Joe didn’t try to force a single answer.
“That’s a tough one. I’d say anything from Jamaica or anything from PR or DR. Anything in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, or Dominican Republic.”
Then, when asked what takes him back to family and Latino roots, he smiled and went classic:
“Vicente Fernández…that’s real classic—real, real. That’s the vibe right there.”
And for Soulection at Year 15, Joe went global, describing a record that holds multiple worlds at once:
“There’s one song that has been on repetition. It’s called ‘Horns in the Sun.’ It’s a South African record, a remix by Toxin…a genre called Three Step.” He broke down why it hits: “It has soul, jazz…It’s kind of like all these elements in one.”
The next 15 years: “tapping in more to the communities.”
At 15, Soulection could easily take a victory lap. But Joe’s mind is already on the next phase. One that extends beyond music and into deeper community impact.
“In 30 years—we’re year 15 now—I want to tap in more to the communities. I want to get into more community work. I think with the music, we’ve made a great statement, and there’s still so much more room to cover. We’ve helped so many artists. There are so many DJs and producers and people who started off in their bedroom that are now at the forefront.”
He talked about building programs, creating more opportunities, and growing the team—especially in ways that address a clear gap he sees.
“Tapping in with the youth. Creating more programs. Championing more women. There’s a misrepresentation, a lack of women. We don’t just want women on the artist side or the DJ side—we want more women on the executive side. Creating more programs, more opportunities. I want to grow my team even more, even bigger. It doesn’t even have to be in music—helping people and using our resources to motivate people.”
He also spoke honestly about what it takes to protect something that people now see as a cultural institution: boundaries, selectivity, and grounding in intention.
“Being very nice and being very generous, the way I was raised, I’ve always let people in my home. Sometimes, a lot of people aren’t meant to be in your home. Being more selective of who I let around me and around my crew, working with people that truly want to be here and don’t see this as a financial opportunity—it’s bigger than the money.”
A message to the people who grew up with Soulection
Before we wrapped, we asked Joe what he wanted to say to the community that’s grown up alongside Soulection, especially the people who found themselves through it.
“Thank you. Whatever year you found out about Soulection or myself, thank you for supporting us, whether it was recently, whether it’s been from the beginning or for many years. Very appreciative. There are different levels of experience that have come with Soulection. A lot of people have found their partners, gone through college, gone through school, gone through different levels of their life, gone through grief.”
Then he said something that landed like the thesis of the entire movement:
“Music is one of the most consistent elements. Soulection—music—has always been there for us. I’m super grateful. It’s been the most consistent element in my life. It’s never let me down. Music…It’s been my university. I’ve learned more through Soulection than I did ever in all my years of education.”
Shoutout to Crown Royal Marquis for bringing us into the celebration.
Joe Kay plays during Soulection’s 15-hour set as the global music collective marks its 15-year anniversary in Miami alongside Crown Royal Marquis at Club SPACE. / Photo by Ruben Acevedo